Visualization of navigation information for connected autonomous vehicles

• US 10,165,231 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bostick, James E., Ganci, Jr., John M., Keen, Martin G., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US15/196,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20180005527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide approaches for visualizing navigation information for a connected autonomous vehicle. Specifically, navigation communications (e.g., communications that are used in the decision making process of autonomous vehicles) from a plurality of vehicles within a particular area are received by a server. The server analyzes all of the navigation communications to determine which of the navigation communications is relevant to a particular connected autonomous vehicle. These relevant navigation communications are used by the server to generate contextual information about the other vehicles in the area. This contextual information is applied to a video display of the area.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for visualizing navigation information for a connected autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a server, navigation communications from a plurality of vehicles within an area;

determining which of the navigation communications is relevant to the connected autonomous vehicle;

generating contextual information about the plurality of vehicles based on the relevant navigation communications; and

applying the contextual information to a video display of the area that contains a visual representation of each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles located within a video display of the area, the applying including applying the contextual information applicable to each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to the visual representation of the vehicle located within the video display of the area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation communications include communications between each of the plurality of vehicles and a navigation control server and communications between each of the plurality of vehicles and others of the plurality of vehicles.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the navigation communications include a vehicle speed, a vehicle distance from another vehicle, a vehicle intended action, and an ability to communicate with another vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating an alert with regard to another vehicle in response to an inability to communicate with the another vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated contextual information includes other vehicle status information that is selected from a group comprising:

whether another vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, whether another vehicle is transmitting the navigation communications, whether another vehicle is considered a dangerous vehicle, a speed change of another vehicle, and a direction change of another vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the contextual information is applied in real time to the video display provided to a passenger of the connected autonomous vehicle as the connected autonomous vehicle is operating, and

wherein the video display is provided on a video device that is selected from a group, consisting of:

a display within the connected autonomous vehicle and a mobile device associated with the passenger.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information that is applied to the video display is retrieved from storage in response to a request from a user.

8. A computer system for visualizing navigation information for a connected autonomous vehicle, the computer system comprising:

a memory medium comprising program instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor for executing the program instructions, the instructions causing the system to;

obtain, by a server, navigation communications from a plurality of vehicles within an area;

determine which of the navigation communications is relevant to the connected autonomous vehicle;

generate contextual information about the plurality of vehicles based on the relevant navigation communications; and

apply the contextual information to a video display of the area that contains a visual representation of each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles located within a video display of the area, the applying including applying overlaying the contextual information applicable to each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to the visual representation of the vehicle located within the video display of the area.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the navigation communications include communications between each of the plurality of vehicles and a navigation control server and communications between each of the plurality of vehicles and others of the plurality of vehicles.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the navigation communications include a vehicle speed, a vehicle distance from another vehicle, a vehicle intended action, and an ability to communicate with another vehicle.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising generating an alert with regard to another vehicle in response to an inability to communicate with the another vehicle.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the generated contextual information includes other vehicle status information that is selected from a group comprising:

whether another vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, whether another vehicle is transmitting the navigation communications, whether another vehicle is considered a dangerous vehicle, a speed change of another vehicle, and a direction change of another vehicle.

13. The computer system of claim 8,

wherein the contextual information is applied in real time to the video display provided to a passenger of the connected autonomous vehicle as the connected autonomous vehicle is operating, and

wherein the video display is provided on a video device that is selected from a group, consisting of:

a display within the connected autonomous vehicle and a mobile device associated with the passenger.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the contextual information that is applied in real time to the video display is retrieved from storage in response to a request from a user.

15. A computer program product for visualizing navigation information for a connected autonomous vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device, which, when executed by a computer device, operate to:

obtain navigation communications from a plurality of vehicles within an area;

determine which of the navigation communications is relevant to the connected autonomous vehicle;

generate contextual information for the plurality of vehicles based on the relevant navigation communications; and

apply the contextual information to a video display of the area that contains a visual representation of each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles located within a video display of the area, the applying including applying the contextual information applicable to each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to the visual representation of the vehicle located within the video display of the area.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the navigation communications include communications between each of the plurality of vehicles and a navigation control server and communications between each of the plurality of vehicles and others of the plurality of vehicles and include a vehicle speed, a vehicle distance from another vehicle, a vehicle intended action, and an ability to communicate with another vehicle.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising generating an alert with regard to another vehicle in response to an inability to communicate with the another vehicle.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the generated contextual information includes other vehicle status information that is selected from a group comprising:

whether another vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, whether another vehicle is transmitting the navigation communications, whether another vehicle is considered a dangerous vehicle, a speed change of another vehicle, and a direction change of another vehicle.

19. The computer program product of claim 15,

wherein the contextual information is applied in real time to the video display provided to a passenger of the connected autonomous vehicle as the connected autonomous vehicle is operating, and

wherein the video display is provided on a video device that is selected from a group, consisting of:

a display within the connected autonomous vehicle and a mobile device associated with the passenger.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the contextual information that is applied to the video display is retrieved from storage in response to a request from a user.